


Duchess With A Dream

by AlternateSequel



Category: Star Wars: Clone Wars (2003) - All Media Types, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Anakin Skywalker Doesn't Turn to the Dark Side, F/M, Padmé Amidala Lives, Satine Kryze Lives
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-22
Updated: 2020-07-02
Packaged: 2021-03-01 17:08:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,316
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23790559
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AlternateSequel/pseuds/AlternateSequel
Summary: Obi-Wan Kenobi is in love with Duchess Satine Kryze of Mandalore, but he cannot leave his responsibilities in the Clone Wars and his dedication to protecting the Republic. So like his former apprentice and closest colleague Anakin Skywalker, he chooses to keep his relationship a secret.
Relationships: Obi-Wan Kenobi/Satine Kryze, Padmé Amidala/Anakin Skywalker
Comments: 9
Kudos: 99





	1. A Mandalorian Meal

“How do I look?” Obi Wan turned to his friend Anakin with a nervous smile.

Anakin frowned slightly as he surveyed his friend’s somewhat altered appearance. The beard was neatly trimmed and he had on clean new beige robes. “You almost forgot something,” Anakin said, a smirk slipping to his face. His eyes fell to Obi Wan’s lightsaber at his side and he held out a hand expectantly.

Obi Wan sighed. Satine Kryze had insisted that there would be no weapons on their first date. A special banquet for the two of them with not a thought of war to taint it. Obi Wan removed his lightsaber from his belt and handed it carefully to his former padawan, pausing before he released his grip on its metal hilt. “You will be careful, Anakin,” he emphasized.

“I’ll take your wisdom into consideration before entering into any aggressive negotiations,” Anakin reassured him. 

Obi Wan knew better than to believe this would actually happen. “I’ll expect my lightsaber back in one piece,” he concluded, then began to walk towards the palace.

Obi Wan had been trained to resist giving in to fear, but nothing had quite prepared him for the odd sensation in his stomach that rose with every step towards the palace. Had he been right in choosing to hide this from the council? How long would it be before both he – and Anakin – were found out for the forbidden relationships each had formed contrary to the code of conduct?

But before Obi Wan could spend any more time doubting his choices, a beautiful woman appeared in the palace doorway. Her aides seemed ready to pounce upon her slightest need, but she motioned them away. “Please,” she mouthed, “leave us.” She smoothed a crease in her green gown and walked to meet her visitor.

“Obi! I’m so happy to see you!” Satine smiled.

Obi Wan responded in kind and slipped his arm through hers, escorting her back to the palace.

Anakin stood a safe distance away, watching with a characteristic amused smile. He nodded quickly to R2, who silently snapped a series of pictures. “Encrypt those, R2,” the jedi instructed. “Obi Wan will be wanting them later, but we don’t want them to leak to the whole galaxy.”

***

“Made clearer their feelings, the Force has,” Yoda commented, while he sat cross-legged as though just interrupted from his meditation. His narrowed eyes did not face the hologram of Mace Windu, arms folded, with whom he was in conversation. 

“What do you mean, Master?” Windu frowned.

“Sensed, have I, the lifeforms within the senator,” Yoda gravely admitted. 

Windu’s eyes opened wide in surprise. “You’re not saying –” he began.

“Not difficult it is to determine the father,” Yoda concluded.

Mace Windu nodded slowly. “You want me to confront him?” he half asked, half suggested.

“No.” Yoda slowly shook his wrinkled head. “Perform the task, Kenobi must. Know Skywalker well, Kenobi does. Better it would be.”

“I agree,” Windu stated. “But action must be swift. The longer Skywalker is wrapped up in his feelings, the more danger he is in. He could quickly fall to the dark side.”

Yoda watched sadly as Windu sped away in pursuit of his fellow master. He would have to be either in the Jedi Temple where he had last been seen, or perhaps conferring with Masters Luminara and Shak Ti about their upcoming missions. Either way, the matter with Skywalker took precedence. 

***

“However temporary the peace,” Satine sighed, “I will enjoy it as long as it lasts.” She paused. “I’m always grateful for your concern . . . but I’d rather put the fighting far behind me for the present,” she admitted. “To have you here – just you, with no guards or clones or enemies – has been my deepest wish for some time.” She extended a hand to touch his.

Obi Wan felt a slight vibration on his wrist. Bother! It was his communication device. What a good job he had turned the volume down. He ignored the vibration, reached for Satine’s hand, and held it for a long, satisfying moment. He looked into her deep blue eyes and tried, for once, to understand this new emotion that he had tried so hard to suppress his whole life.

But the moment was broken as a lightsaber penetrated the glass of the window and cut a large circle, just big enough for General Grievous to shatter his way into the dining hall.

“Hahaha!” Grievous half coughed, half laughed. “I’ve caught you Kenobi. Too bad I won’t be able to add your lightsaber to my collection – yet! But perhaps this prize is more valuable to you than your jedi weapon!”

“Grievous! I might have expected you,” Kenobi stated, taking a protective stance between the monster and Satine. “Not quite the dinner entertainment we had scheduled, but it will do, I suppose.”

Satine reached for Obi Wan’s shoulder. “Careful, Obi!” she whispered.

But Grievous was already whirling his sabers and charging. 

Obi Wan responded by Force-lifting the table and flinging it across the room at his opponent. The sabers cut through the furniture, but the momentary delay gave Obi Wan the time he needed to grab the decorative shield from the wall and roll it to Satine.

It was a slanted battle indeed, for the opponent had six lightsabers and Obi Wan had only his wits and quick reactions. Through a series of clever maneuvers, Obi Wan succeeded in knocking one of the sabers from Grievous’ metallic hand. But he was instantly cornered and pinned to a wall with no escape in sight.

Then Satine did the unexpected. Somehow she had grabbed the lightsaber as it rolled away, and she managed now to skillfully toss it to the jedi, who caught the cue at once and ignited the lightsaber just as it passed Grievous’ arm, cutting off the false limb. He slipped away just in time, rolling his way out from the trap and stopping just feet from a deeply relieved Satine. 

Grievous, recovered from the shock, took a step in Kenobi’s direction, but the floor had been weakened from the heavy objects the opponents had been throwing at one another, and it began to crack and give way. Grievous struggled to regain his balance, but tumbled towards the open balcony and took a rolling leap out of the crumbling situation.

“I thought you were against weapons, dear,” Obi Wan smiled.

“Not it if means protecting the one I love,” Satine answered. “But come, we have to get out of here.”

“What a good job R2 and I just happened to be flying around the block,” Anakin interrupted from just outside the window. “Come on! You owe me one, Obi Wan.”

“Very well, but let’s get out of here quickly!” Obi Wan agreed reluctantly. He gave Satine a hand as she stepped into the hovering speeder.

“Next time, count me in on the action,” Anakin insisted, trying to muster a pout that looked more like an amused smile. “It’s not fair I never get the chance to take on Grievous.”

“You, my friend, may take on Grievous as often as you like. But first, I’d like my lightsaber back.”

Anakin’s mouth dropped slightly, as if in a sudden realization.

“What? I warned you to be careful!”

Anakin relaxed, not laughing, but the smile of amusement was obvious in his eyes as he casually tossed the lightsaber back to an annoyed Obi Wan. Kenobi had a sarcastic response on the tip of his tongue, but he caught it in time and contented himself with a look that Anakin alone would be able to interpret. He would not let his former padawan humiliate him before the duchess.

The vibration from the device on Obi Wan’s wrist returned, but this time, with greater urgency, as it would not cease. Obi Wan sighed and actually looked to see who it was. Mace Windu. Great. The date was definitely over now.


	2. Dreams and Discoveries

“Welcome ladies!” Padme greeted her friends Satine and Bo-Katan as they entered through the front door of her Naboo summer house.

Ever since Mandalore had been saved from Darth Maul and the Mandalorian sisters had been reunited, Bo-Katan spent much of her time with her sister between military missions. Though Satine still refused to involve herself fully in the war, she had granted her sister permission to oversee Mandalore’s ongoing defense efforts. Her own near death in Obi-Wan’s arms – she’d been thought dead but was rescued later by a medical team – had not altered her views on war, but it had made her more cautious. And though she loved Obi-Wan dearly, she could not afford to spare caution when it came to the secrecy of their relationship either.

Padme led the way into a magnificent parlor decorated with flowers and art. Two additional guests were already seated: a Gungan and a Rodian who were already engaged in an animated discussion about Coruscant fashion.

Satine made herself comfortable beside the Rodian, and Bo-Katan rather awkwardly seated herself beside her sister. “I didn’t know we were supposed to dress up,” she whispered, glancing first at the colorful party gowns worn by the other women, then at her own pair of slacks and boots.

“I suggested you might borrow one of my gowns,” Satine reminded her, “but if I recall, you wanted none of that.” She removed her own shawl and placed it over her sister’s shoulders. “This should do nicely.”

C-3PO appeared in the doorway with a tray of refreshments. “Is there anything else I might bring, Miss Padme?”

“No, thank you, Threepio,” Padme replied. “You have been most attentive.” She accepted the refreshments and placed them on the center table.

The conversation continued to center on fashion for the next half-hour, during most of which Bo-Katan had little to say and was more intent on sawing through her share of the fruit on the refreshment table with a frustratingly blunt knife.

“One of the latest looks from Coruscant involves a jewel headdress with a crown of curls,” the Rodian was describing. “Though I can’t say it’s something I could try myself –” she indicated her own lack of locks, “I’ve always wanted to try it on one of my friends.”

“I’d be happy to volunteer my own hair for the experiment,” Padme smiled, “but Sabé already claimed it this afternoon.”

All eyes turned to poor Bo-Katan, who had just forked the last slice of fruit from her plate and whose hair was practically decoration-free. She wore only a simple black headband around her thick red hair.

“No worries,” Satine said with a mischievous smile, gently placing her hand on her sister’s shoulder. “I’m sure Bo would be happy to oblige.”

Bo-Katan shot her sister a look of mixed horror and amusement, but it was too late to refuse without creating a scene, as the Rodian and Gungan had already sprung to action with the curlers and hair accessories.

Satine and Padme watched with amusement for a couple of minutes, but eventually drifted across the room as their conversation took a different turn.

“I hope your date went well the other day,” Padme expressed with a touch of concern. “Ani told me General Grievous made an unexpected appearance?”

Satine sighed. “It was perfect – until Grievous, of course. Finding time to spend with Obi has been . . . _difficult_ because of the war. Is it too much to hope for a peaceful life married to the man I love?”

“I’ve wished the same for Ani and myself ever since our own marriage,” Padme replied in a low voice. “I believe he’d be restless staying in one place for long, but I’d love at least to have him here with me on Naboo more often instead of always dashing off to another battle.” She paused for a moment and searched Satine’s eyes, a sudden glow of hope appearing. “Satine,” she whispered, “I want to have him here when my baby comes.” Her hand moved slowly to her stomach and rested there, holding back the full skirt so that her friend could see how far her pregnancy already was.

Satine gave a little gasp. “How will you prevent the jedi council from finding out?”

“I don’t know . . .” Padme mused. “But for now I’m staying as far away from them as I can.”

“How many people _know_?” Satine wondered.

“Ani and I, Sabé, Obi-Wan and yourself. I trust you, Satine. I may need your help if Ani can’t be home when the baby comes.”

“You can count on me,” the duchess promised.

“And do not lose heart, Satine,” Padme reassured her, placing a hand on her friend’s shoulder. “It won’t be much longer before Obi-Wan asks for your hand.”

“I wish I knew that for certain,” Satine sighed.

They were interrupted by a rather unladylike shout from the other side of the room. Bo-Katan had just seen her reflection in the mirror. She looked quite lovely with her hair curled and piled high above a jeweled crown, and her hairdressers were quite proud of their work. Bo-Katan, however, shot her sister a look that said ‘please help me!’

Padme, an attentive hostess, noticed at once. “Nice work, ladies!” she smiled. “And now I think it’s the perfect time for dessert!”

***

“Irritating sand – getting everywhere!” growled Anakin between clenched teeth as he shook out the sleeves of his robe and worked some loose grains out of his mechanical arm.

“Mind your feelings, Anakin,” Obi-Wan reminded him.

Anakin gave a short, frustrated laugh. “I’ve believed for a long time now that sand has allied itself with the dark side,” he commented. “I can’t help but dislike it.”

“Anakin.” Obi-Wan’s voice had dropped in volume several notches. “I _must_ speak with you.”

“You worry too much,” laughed Anakin, his face betraying his amusement. “If this is about my flying on the way here . . .”

“No, it’s not that,” Obi-Wan replied. “It’s the transmission that came in from Mace Windu.”

Anakin’s face fell immediately. “What have I done this time?”

“I believe it won’t be long before your marriage to Padme is no longer a secret,” Obi-Wan announced somewhat gravely. “Yoda and Windu already know – they sensed . . . _lifeforms._ ” He brought his hand reflectively to his face and stroked his beard thoughtfully.

“Lifeforms?” Anakin could not contain his surprise. “More than one?”

Obi-Wan nodded slowly.

“How have I not sensed it? I’m their father!” Anakin exclaimed.

“The Force has been clouded . . . by the dark side,” Obi-Wan mused. “Yoda’s wisdom and insight have been most critical in these times – but I fear we all have been uncertain to one degree or another.”

“And you’ve been asked to turn me in to the council?” Anakin assumed, taking on a slightly bitter tone.

“Now Anakin . . . you are my brother. I couldn’t do it. You know that. But you may have to make a choice.”

“You know I can’t leave the order,” Anakin complained. “Even the life of a pilot would be too . . . boring. I like to be in the action. Besides, I haven’t done anything wrong. As I see it, the jedi _encourage_ love.”

“That might not be enough to persuade the council,” Obi-Wan countered.

“You’re asking me to be rational,” Anakin groaned. “That is something I know I cannot do. What about Satine? Are you going to leave the order for her?”

“If she’ll have me,” Obi-Wan replied.

“Why haven’t you asked?” Anakin wondered.

“I have my reasons.” Obi-Wan turned away before he could ask any more questions.


	3. A Choice

“They want me to spy on the chancellor?”

Persuading Anakin to do anything he did not particularly want to do had always been a difficult task. The conversation over, Obi-Wan could still not push Anakin’s reaction of disgust from his mind. He felt deeply hypocritical in passing along the council’s request, knowing full well that he had failed them in his own assigned mission – to spy on Anakin. But there was something about Palpatine – he just couldn’t place it – that worried him. Was it the chancellor’s complacent smile? Or perhaps it was the way that nothing seemed to faze him – almost as if he knew ahead of time that it would happen?

Obi-Wan shrugged and prepared his ship to land. If he could successfully defeat General Grievous, it would bring a speedy end to the Clone Wars. And then the Republic could take the necessary steps to return to normal. And then . . . maybe then . . . no, he hardly dared to hope for Satine’s hand. After all, it seemed that every time the topic of their relationship came up, they were interrupted. The meal on Mandalore, for instance. And his mind kept returning to his commitment to the Jedi Order. He could not lead a double life like Anakin. For a life with Satine, he would have to leave the Order. But he was needed there. “Patience, use the Force, think,” Obi-Wan reminded himself. As he landed in a nice, hidden spot, he took a deep breath and pushed his feelings away.

***

Padme had been feeling strange all day. She had pushed herself to attend all of her scheduled meetings and diplomatic missions throughout her pregnancy, for her repeated absence would have been the surest way to reveal Anakin’s and her secret. But today, as light contractions began, Padme knew she had to cancel her meeting with the representatives visiting Coruscant. She sent an assistant with her recorded speech about the new bill and her apologies that she was unwell. The senator really hoped she wouldn’t have to make this excuse more than once. But as the evening began to set in and her water broke, Padme knew it would not be long. She sent a transmission to Anakin and then one to Satine. She sat, patiently at first, in her chambers, but as the cramps began to intensify, she could not remain still, but rose and slowly walked to the window. As she gazed out at the traffic-filled sunset sky of Coruscant, she could feel her emotions begin to overwhelm her. What if Anakin’s dreams were true? What if she were really going to die in the next few hours? How long would it take her husband to receive and listen to her transmission? Would he be too late? Padme saw C-3PO approaching with a tray of snacks. He really had been immensely helpful throughout the last nine months, attending to all her health needs. But for once she refused, because her current emotion was one a droid could not understand: fear.

***

Anakin tried to remain seated in the council chambers, but he was too restless. How far would Master Windu go? Surely he would not confront Palpatine alone. Wouldn’t they at least arrest him and give him a fair trial? Or would it all end with the slash of a lightsaber blade? He could hear Palpatine’s warning echoing in his head. He would lose Padme for certain if he allowed Windu to kill Palpatine.

Anakin rose from his seat and strode sadly to the window that looked out over the city. His eyes began to fill with tears. He struggled to hold them in, but could not. As he turned from the window, he was suddenly filled with resolve. With great haste, he abandoned his determination to stay, and left the chambers at a run. It did not take him long to arrive in the hangar and board his shuttle. As he revved up the engines, he noticed a flickering light on the dashboard. He nearly ignored it, but decided at last that it could be important.

“Ani,” his wife’s voice greeted him. “The baby is coming!”

Anakin gave a little gasp. He had not thought of this. He would have to make a choice. He hesitated. He could save Palpatine and learn from him how to save Padme. But by then it would almost certainly be too late. After all, it had been a little while ago that the transmission had been sent. Padme could very well already be in labor. He might not know exactly how to save Padme, but he could try. And he _would_ try. But there was one thing he knew for sure. She would not have to suffer alone, awaiting the release of death like his mother had. If she had to die, it would be in his arms.

“But she won’t,” Anakin fumed, resisting his premonitions and accelerating at a rate that would have impressed even Sebulba.

***

“Don’t worry,” Satine reassured her friend, gently squeezing her hand. “I’m sure he got your message and is on his way.”

“I’m so glad you’re here,” Padme smiled weakly. She was lying down now, as the pain had intensified. A couple of medical droids buzzed in the background, making calculated preparations. C-3PO had been assigned to coordinating the final preparations for the nursery, to keep him out of the way. Padme couldn’t take his chatter just now.

Satine glanced at her datapad. She’d just received a news notification. She gave a little gasp.

“Oh?” Padme was curious.

“Obi – I mean General Kenobi defeated Grievous today,” Satine smiled. “This is good to hear. The war will be at an end!”

“That’s great news!” Padme breathed. “Ow!” Her face twisted in pain. “Keep reading. It will distract me.”

“Hmm . . . there’s a lot of conjecture around Grievous’ death,” Satine summarized. “Video surveillance revealed he’s not purely cyborg, he’s just had a lot of surgeries – no, I don’t think this is what you need right now.” She swiped the story away. “Maybe this is better: Podracing Cancelled On Tatooine . . . to Mourn Passing of Crash Victim . . . no . . .”

Padme gave a cry of pain. Satine couldn’t tell if it were the baby coming or the unfortunate news. But Padme’s emotions were quickly spiraling out of control.

“Anakin!” the senator cried as the labor pains began to increase.

A noise could be heard outside as a vehicle landed and pulled to a halt. Rapid footsteps followed, getting closer and closer.

“Ani!”

The young jedi flung open the door, and rushed to his suffering wife’s side, out of breath. “Padme, I’m here!” he exclaimed, grabbing her hand as he knelt at her side.

Padme began to cry half with relief, half with increased pain as the worst of the contractions began.

Satine was very helpful because she had been present when her nephew, Korki was born, and knew how to make the process go smoothly. She helped Padme to a more comfortable position while the medical droids busied themselves with checking the patient’s vitals.

“She’s very healthy,” a droid announced.

Anakin heaved a sigh of relief.

Padme was so weak when the baby finally emerged that she could barely whisper the name that she and Anakin had picked out for him: “Luke.”

He was truly a beautiful baby. The couple had been so concerned that their secret marriage would be discovered that they had avoided seeking medical attention until now, so the gender of the baby was a surprise. They had picked out two names, however, just in case. It only occurred then to Anakin that he had entirely forgotten to update Padme that they were having twins. He was reminded of the fact because Padme had only time to gently touch the first baby’s face and breathe, “Oh, Luke!” before the second round of contractions began.

“Ani, help me!” screamed Padme, entirely convinced that this was the moment she began to die.

In that moment it all clicked in Anakin’s mind. This was exactly what he had seen in the dream. He had presumed her to be dying – when all along, she was merely about to give birth to a second child. He could have kicked himself. He’d never witnessed anyone in labor before, and certainly not a woman about to birth twins. He had scared Padme for no reason. What a good job Obi-Wan wasn’t here to scold him! Though, he admitted to himself, he certainly deserved a good scolding. He leaned in close to Padme and whispered gently in her ear. “It’s going to be okay. I promise.”

After that, she seemed to relax a bit, and hard as the labor was, it was not long before she gave birth to a beautiful baby girl. “Leia,” she whispered, seeing their daughter for the first time. She turned to smile at her husband. “I feel so much better now. I’m so glad you came!”

“So am I.” And all at once he was overwhelmed with an indescribable joy.


	4. Tragedy on Coruscant

_“First you lose a planet, now I’m convinced you’re losing your senses!” Madame Jocasta’s face was drawn in a firm line as she listened with minimal amusement to Obi-Wan’s request. “Perhaps I can refer you to the Jedi Code?” She motioned to an engraving on the wall behind them._

_Obi Wan lowered his head slowly and stroked his beard contemplatively. It would not be easy to phrase this without giving himself away. “I only meant . . . that is, for my research project . . . if there have been any alternate interpretations of the attachment clause.”_

_Madame Jocasta did not appear to appreciate this explanation. She led the way to a different section of the archive and pulled an ancient looking volume from the shelf. “Read it for yourself,” she replied, lowering the book to an adjacent table with a slight bang. “There’s eight-hundred pages worth of theoretical discussion. More than I care to summarize.” She left Kenobi alone with the book._

_Obi Wan frowned. It was indeed a thick volume. He flicked through a few pages and realized at once that it was denser than he would ever have time for. He might spend a lifetime studying these writings and still be no closer to the answer he sought. He closed his eyes and remembered Anakin’s words: “Compassion is central to a Jedi’s life. We are encouraged to love.”_

***

Obi Wan tried to push the thoughts that filled his wandering mind out of the way. Yes, he’d just won against General Grievous, but the battle was far from over. His mind suddenly snapped into focus as he caught sight of a soaring explosive making a high arc in the sky – right towards Commander Cody. In a flash, he moved to block the blast with his lightsaber.

***

Anakin and Padme were interrupted in the middle of their happy first moments with the twins by a loud knock at the door.

Anakin should have sensed the approach, but he hadn’t, he’d been so absorbed in his recently expanded family. It was unfortunate timing for a visitor, as he hadn’t been prepared to share the secret with anyone else until absolutely necessary. But before the second knock, he already knew who it was – Yoda.

“Hear crying, do I?” Yoda asked, upon being admitted by a reluctant Anakin. “Hmm. Very appropriate that is. A grave sadness come upon us has.”

Anakin’s eyebrows pulled into a frown. He was not going to let Yoda ruin the moment with a bunch of rigid rules and reminders.

But it quickly became clear that was not the intent.

“Four great jedi masters tonight their lives lost,” Yoda announced, his eyes directed solemnly to the floor. “Palpatine – Darth Sidious powerful is. Clouded the Force has been. Quick we must act.”

Anakin could not restrain himself from a gasp. “Windu? Who else?”

“Mace Windu. Fisto, Kolar, and Tiin. Sad their loss is, but come you must.”

“I understand. There may be time to warn the others. Where is _Pal_ —Sidious now?”

Yoda shook his head gravely.

“Forgive me, Padme.” Anakin left a kiss on her forehead, then sprinted through the open door to save his friends before it was too late.

***

Obi Wan had just finished speaking with Cody and had begun to ride away on his lizard, Boga, when the order was given. A quick, decisive, and entirely unexpected blaster shot brought the animal’s life to an end and sent the jedi hurtling over the cliff into the deep water below.

His instincts coming into play at once, Obi Wan braced himself so that when he hit the water he could begin to swim. What a good job swimming had always been one of his strengths! He could also hold his breath for an exceptionally long time, which helped tremendously.

Still, he could not deny the shock he was in. The blaster had to have been Cody. He knew it. But why? And when they were so close to victory over the separatists! Something inside him knew he must remain hidden for now. As he came to a rocky overhang, he allowed himself a quick breath above the water before diving again to avoid a team of scanning droids that appeared to be tasked with his recovery. Or his termination. If this were a rescue attempt Cody and the other clone troopers who had fought by his side would have been involved already, calling his name and asking if he were okay.

Opening his eyes underwater, he could see a narrow tunnel that led through the rock. He had no idea where it went or if it was merely a dead end, but he decided to take the chance and swam in that direction. The tunnel was longer than he had imagined. He was nearly out of oxygen and had to make a quick decision whether to press forward or turn back for air. “Just a little longer,” he thought. And he was glad – very, very relieved – when he found himself on the other side in a hidden cave with two or three feet of air above the water. It was very humid, but breathable.

Obi Wan took a moment to catch his breath, then checked his comm device. It was probably ruined. Given the types of circumstances jedi frequently threw themselves into, he should have opted for the waterproof model . . . or maybe . . . he smiled as he remembered what forgetful Anakin had not. His former apprentice had a bad habit of leaving his belongings behind, and one of his weatherproof comm units had been among them. Obi Wan had found it carelessly strewn on a desk when they were last together in a briefing. He’d meant to give it back, but had thought it would be safer in his pocket until Anakin was less distracted as he had been lately. Or would Anakin’s thoughts permanently be elsewhere, now his family was expanding?

Obi Wan sighed and sent out a transmission to someone he knew he could trust. She answered nearly right away.

“Obi Wan?” Satine almost cried through the speaker. “I’ve been so worried! Coruscant is in an uproar.”

“Are you all right?”

“Fine, I’m fine dear. But I need to warn you – the jedi have been targeted by a certain _Darth Sidious_ – whoever that is. A dark hooded figure appeared at the temple and massacred everyone inside and we’ve been hearing report after report of jedi deaths throughout the galaxy.”

“Well I very nearly died myself,” Obi Wan admitted, “but luckily I’m a good swimmer. What about Anakin? Please tell me he hasn’t attempted anything foolish!”

“He’s with Yoda,” Satine explained. “They’ve been trying to warn the others, but so far all we’ve had back is bad news.”

“I should return and join them.”

Satine gasped. “Coruscant is probably the _least_ safe place for a jedi right now!”

“Oh I don’t plan to take the usual route.” Obi Wan smiled to himself. He had come across many creative alternatives in his experience flying with Anakin. It would not be difficult to slip into the capital city.

“Please be safe!” Satine reminded him.

“No need to worry,” he assured her. “Anakin isn’t the pilot this time.” As he ended the transmission it occurred to him that this might be the last time he heard her. If the threat could not be dealt with, he along with any other survivors, would have to go into hiding on a more permanent basis. And he had no idea just how long that might be.


End file.
